Maria鈥 Lima鈥 Fernandes鈥 is鈥 a鈥 Global鈥 Health鈥 Scholar鈥 and鈥 Bachelor鈥 of鈥 Arts鈥 student鈥 pursuing鈥 a鈥 Joint鈥 Honours鈥 degree鈥 in鈥 International鈥 Development鈥 Studies鈥 and鈥 Political鈥 Science,鈥 as鈥 well鈥 as鈥 a鈥 Minor in鈥 Gender,鈥 Sexuality,鈥 Feminist鈥 and鈥 Social鈥 Justice鈥 Studies.鈥 Through鈥 the鈥 support鈥 of鈥 the鈥 Frances Aboud鈥 &鈥 Charles鈥 Larson鈥 Global鈥 Health鈥 Fund,鈥 and鈥 under鈥 the鈥 guidance鈥 of鈥 Professor鈥 Grace鈥 Marquis, Maria鈥 used qualitative鈥 methods鈥 to鈥 develop,鈥 collect鈥 and鈥 analyse鈥 data鈥 on鈥 dietary鈥 and鈥 sexual/reproductive health beliefs and practices of adolescents in rural Kenya.鈥
鈥淭he鈥 project鈥 I鈥 had鈥 the鈥 opportunity鈥 to鈥 work鈥 on鈥 is鈥 part鈥 of鈥 an鈥 initiative鈥 called鈥 REACTS-IN: Realizing鈥 Gender鈥 Equality,鈥 Attitudinal鈥 Change鈥 and鈥 Transformative鈥 Systems鈥 in鈥 Nutrition,鈥 which鈥 brings鈥 together鈥 governmental,鈥 civil鈥 society鈥 and鈥 academic鈥 institutions,鈥 namely鈥 黑料不打烊鈥 University,鈥 World Vision, the Government of Canada, Nutrition International, and HarvestPlus.鈥
My鈥 participation鈥 focused鈥 on鈥 Kenya鈥檚鈥 Elgeyo-Marakwet鈥 County,鈥 where鈥 my鈥 primary鈥 role鈥 was鈥 to鈥 conduct鈥 focus鈥 group鈥 discussions鈥 (FGDs)鈥 with鈥 teens鈥 between鈥 the鈥 ages鈥 of鈥 15鈥 and鈥 19鈥 across鈥 secondary鈥 schools鈥 in鈥 the鈥 County.鈥 In鈥 preparation鈥 for鈥 my鈥 field鈥 work,鈥 I鈥 researched鈥 adolescent鈥 nutrition鈥 and鈥 sexual鈥 &鈥 reproductive鈥 health鈥 (SRH)鈥 in鈥 rural鈥 Kenya,鈥 developed鈥 the鈥 FGD鈥 questions鈥 and guide, and met with partners in Canada and Kenya alike.鈥
Alongside鈥 my鈥 research鈥 partner,鈥 Camila鈥 Franco鈥 Su谩rez,鈥 I鈥 spent鈥 one鈥 month鈥 in鈥 Elgeyo-Marakwet County鈥 not鈥 only鈥 conducting鈥 the鈥 FGDs,鈥 but鈥 also鈥 engaging鈥 with鈥 local鈥 populations鈥 and鈥 stakeholders,鈥 attending鈥 meetings鈥 and鈥 trainings,鈥 and鈥 visiting鈥 spaces鈥 relevant鈥 to鈥 the鈥 research鈥 topic,鈥 such鈥 as鈥 the Iten鈥 County鈥 Referral鈥 Hospital.鈥 These鈥 experiences鈥 allowed鈥 me鈥 to鈥 better鈥 understand鈥 how鈥 societal鈥 norms鈥 shape鈥 beliefs鈥 and鈥 practices鈥 around鈥 nutrition,鈥 sexuality,鈥 and鈥 reproduction,鈥 as鈥 well鈥 as鈥 contextualise鈥 the鈥 challenges鈥 and鈥 strengths鈥 that鈥 teens鈥 experience鈥 when鈥 it鈥 comes鈥 to鈥 their鈥 dietary鈥 and sexual & reproductive health.鈥
鈥 It鈥 is鈥 hard鈥 to鈥 choose鈥 one鈥 moment鈥 that鈥 embodies鈥 my鈥 experience鈥 in鈥 Elgeyo-Marakwet,鈥 but鈥 if鈥 I鈥 had鈥 to鈥 pick鈥 one,鈥 it鈥 would鈥 be鈥 participating鈥 in鈥 a鈥 Care鈥 Group鈥 meeting鈥 with鈥 the鈥 Morop鈥 women鈥 from鈥 Keiyo鈥 South鈥 Sub-County.鈥 Care鈥 Groups鈥 are鈥 a鈥 community-based鈥 behaviour鈥 change鈥 strategy,鈥 which鈥齮end鈥 to鈥 focus鈥 on鈥 health鈥 education.鈥 During鈥 my鈥 visit鈥 to鈥 the鈥 Morop鈥 community,鈥 I鈥 got鈥 to鈥 hear鈥 from鈥 the鈥 local鈥 women鈥 about鈥 their鈥 own鈥 experiences,鈥 concerns,鈥 challenges,鈥 and鈥 suggestions鈥 for鈥 improving鈥 their鈥 community鈥檚鈥 wellbeing.鈥 Despite鈥 spending鈥 hours鈥 talking鈥 about鈥 malnutrition,鈥 gender鈥 inequality鈥 and鈥 violence,鈥 misinformation鈥 regarding鈥 SRH,鈥 challenges鈥 to鈥 accessing鈥 healthcare,鈥 and鈥 struggles鈥 with鈥 keeping鈥 crops鈥 alive,鈥 the鈥 women鈥 decided鈥 to鈥 end鈥 the鈥 meeting鈥 by鈥 performing鈥 a鈥 song鈥 accompanied鈥 by鈥 lots鈥 of鈥 dance鈥 and鈥 laughter.鈥 This鈥 encounter鈥 showed鈥 me鈥 the鈥 importance鈥 of鈥 resilience,鈥 community鈥 and鈥 mutual鈥 aid鈥 -鈥 it鈥 perfectly鈥 illustrated鈥 exactly鈥 what鈥 global鈥 health needs.鈥
This鈥 was鈥 my鈥 first鈥 opportunity鈥 to鈥 conduct鈥 field鈥 work,鈥 let鈥 alone鈥 abroad!鈥 I鈥 learned鈥 a鈥 great鈥 deal鈥 about鈥 qualitative鈥 research鈥 methods,鈥 built鈥 problem-solving鈥 skills,鈥 experienced鈥 intercultural鈥 communication鈥 through鈥 immersion,鈥 and鈥 expanded鈥 my鈥 knowledge鈥 on鈥 governmental鈥 and鈥 civil鈥 society鈥 initiatives.鈥 I鈥 extend鈥 my鈥 deepest鈥 gratitude鈥 to鈥 黑料不打烊鈥 Global鈥 Health鈥 Programs,鈥 the鈥 Frances鈥鼳boud鈥 &鈥 Charles鈥 Larson鈥 Global鈥 Health鈥 Fund,鈥 the鈥 REACTS-IN鈥 Team,鈥 my鈥 supervisors,鈥 research鈥 partner, and the Elgeyo-Marakwet community.鈥濃
Learn more about the 黑料不打烊 Global Health Scholars Undergraduate Program.
听
鈥
